28 Years Later
by 50shadesofmeme
Summary: A story of two brothers, whose lives are changed forever with the construction of the Berlin Wall. With all the hardships that come with the harsh realities of a broken home, plus the kindness from a stranger and his family, Ludwig will stop at nothing to keep his promise to his brother, no matter the consequences. [Human AU, drama with elements of family and romance - GerIta!]
1. Chapter 1

_April 4_ _th_ _, 1961_ – **West Berlin**

"Ludwig, breakfast is ready!"

Upon hearing his name, the child didn't budge from his comfy spot in the corner. Ludwig was fully engrossed in his book, mouthing the words as his eyes scanned the pages intently. From the amount of times he'd read the book, Ludwig was positive he'd be able to narrate it from memory soon. Perhaps _that_ would cheer his brother up.

"Hurry up! You have school in, what, 40 minutes?"

His voice was considerably sterner than usual. Ludwig could only assume that meant their supplies were sparse. Typically in a situation like so, especially as this was becoming a frequent problem amongst the two, Ludwig would be fed the minimum required to get through the day. His brother, no matter how much he tried to hide it from Ludwig, either didn't eat or only had the scraps. No amount of crying or whining from Ludwig would make his older brother shift when it came to portions.

Ludwig located the page number before shutting the novel, leaving it in the same spot he'd been sat in for later. "I'm coming!" Ludwig called out to his sibling, trotting through the hall and to the dingy kitchen. In all honesty, Ludwig despised the place. Forgetting the claustrophobic size of the abandoned dwelling, the place was crumbling apart; the wallpaper peeled off at all corners and the bottom of each door was splintered. For Ludwig, the smell was the worst. It wasn't necessarily an _unbearable_ stench – since the second they stepped into the place, a musk of damp sadness seemed to linger no matter what the boys tried. Ludwig wouldn't dare complain about it, he knew better than to do so. The house wasn't their own. Ever heard of the stories about kids exploring abandoned haunted houses, only to discover the 'phantom' to be some homeless guy living there? Ludwig and Gilbert had been living as the phantoms of this particular house for over 6 months.

Gilbert was sat at the kitchen table (a makeshift cardboard box with a dusty cloth) with a newspaper in hand – definitely stolen, not that Ludwig was old enough to know any better. Opposite Gilbert was a glass of milk, buttered toast and jam spread over it. "Thank you Gilbert. Are you… sure you don't want any for yourself?" Ludwig asked, dropping into his seat and picking up the glass. Ludwig took a sip; warm, not as sharp-tasting as yesterday. He drank up without complaint.

"I told you not to worry about me, just eat up. I get my food for the day at work!" Gilbert grinned toothily, newspaper abandoned on the table. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay. I'm getting used to the, erm, bed," Ludwig replied quietly, half his attention on breakfast. "How about you?"

"Work tires me out enough to be able to sleep anywhere, so I'm good. Glad it's getting warmer though, I can't find any extra blankets at the moment," Gilbert sighed dramatically, resting his cheek in his hand and shutting his eyes. Ludwig rolled his own.

"You can smoke if you want to, I don't care…" Ludwig uttered between bites of toast, much to the relief of Gilbert who immediately got out a cigarette. The older of the two hopped out of his seat to light his cigarette with use of the stove. Usually the smell bothered the 8 year old, but how could he fuss when Gilbert was close to starving himself for his sake? Gilbert had always been skinny and as of late, it was clearer than ever. "Are they making you do a lot at work?"

"Huh?" Gilbert took an experimental drag, then decided to heat it up some more, "Yeah but… They're paying me more than the last place did, Lud, so I couldn't care less. You shouldn't care either. Just focus on school, okay?"

Ludwig stared down at his food. "Do you miss going to school?" Silence filled the room, only the crunch of toast audible until Ludwig stopped, waiting for an answer.

"Sometimes I do. But having a job is so much cooler! It's like school but you get money!" Gilbert claimed excitedly, gaze averted from his little brother. "I – Lud, you're a good kid and I'm lucky to have you. Hell, I'm a selfish bastard for keeping you by my side after… Look – I just… Y'know. I really, _really_ don't want to lose you. You can't talk about me at school or anything like that. Especially not to your teachers. They might tell _them_." Ludwig became ten times more attentive, eyes wide with concern at his brother's seriousness. "If anyone finds out I'm not actually 18, they'll take you away from me. I can't lose you."

With a harsh scrape of his stool legs, Ludwig jumped out of his seat and rushed to his brother's side. He stumbled over after losing his footing thanks to the thick layer of grime on the floor, but managed to latch onto Gilbert before falling, holding his brother's waist tightly. "You won't lose me! I promise!" Ludwig snapped, eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't cry in front of Gilbert. That'd just worry him, and Ludwig knew that was the last thing Gilbert needed. Something else to worry him. "You're the bestest Gilbert. You're my bestest friend ever and- and… they're not gonna take me away, I won't let them!"

Gilbert chuckled at his brother's naïve determination, messing up Ludwig's hair until it stuck up in short tufts. The innocence of a child was refreshing. Gilbert, only being 16, never thought he'd think in such a way for a long time. Maybe he was fortunate to have such an intelligent younger brother. "I won't let them either, okay? How else will I see to it that you get good grades, like ma wanted? You'll be the most awesome policeman ever – You still wanna do that?"

"Yeah. Maybe a firefighter. Or be in the Olympics! Last year was amazing!"

"You'd be a good athlete. You're super smart too Ludwig, you have loads of options."

"What do you wanna do in the future Gilbert?" Ludwig queried, staring up at Gilbert with childlike curiosity.

Gilbert smiled down at him. "I don't know. Find a pretty wife. Make money. Get out of this place with you and settle down somewhere. Wouldn't England be nice?"

"Can we live in the countryside?"

"Eh? Why the countryside?"

Ludwig took a deep breath, clearly having thought about this a lot. "Well… Then we'll have more space and I can run around lots. You can also get that car you've always wanted. Three of them, maybe even four! And – we can get a dog. There'll also be room for your wife and-"

"Alright, alright, I get it. Calm down!" Gilbert snickered. It was always amusing to see Ludwig become overly enthusiastic about things. Even at home the youngster was reserved and stoic most of the time. "We'll take the world by storm Ludwig, just you wait."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading the first chapter! Reviews appreciated a lot, also sorry if the characters are a bit OOC at first!**


	2. Chapter 2

_August 12_ _th_ _, 1961_ – **West Berlin**

Gilbert had kept himself preoccupied for the majority of the day by attempting to scrub away an ambitious goal of one layer of decay from the house. It was either that or turning to the degrading task of begging to get some extra money into the household – which, really, wouldn't be so bad, if not for the lack of pity people took on a lanky teenager. Gilbert had already been forced to consider using Ludwig as a prop for sympathy many times before, however the decision continuously fell at a massive N-O. Even if it was to feed his younger brother, there was just something about exploiting the kid like that that irked him.

Fucking ethics.

Ludwig arrived home from an outing at the park later in the day, just after Gilbert had polished the bedroom off. The kitchen ended up being the only room left; unfortunately for Gilbert, also the most difficult room to clean. So if anything Ludwig's timing was beneficial to Gilbert's aching arms, but detrimental to the potential eradication of bacteria infestation.

"How was it?" Gilbert questioned from the bedroom, throwing himself across the bed. Referring to it as a bed was a bit generous in retrospect. It was more or less springs wrapped in a cloth, almost corresponding to a long-term torture device for his back. It didn't take long for his brother to scamper into the room, most likely hunting for his book.

"Fine. Played football - Did you tidy up?" Ludwig seemed confused that his brother genuinely put himself through such a thing.

Gilbert gasped in mock-offence. "Why so surprised? Just for that, I'm not telling you where your book is."

"You can't hide people's stuff, it's rude!" Ludwig reprimanded, "I wasn't surprised in a bad way. Thanks for clearing up Gilbert, really. But where's my book?"

It didn't take long for Gilbert to succumb to the puppy-eyes from Ludwig. He rolled over to reveal his pillow, and Ludwig instantly clocked onto where the book had been stowed. Ludwig snatched it from beneath the pillow, pouting a little. "You could have squished it…"

"My head isn't heavy enough to – Oh, you saying my head's big? Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, I actually put it there to make sure it didn't get dirty. 'Cause I'm a nice fucking brother." He was telling the truth about not wanting to ruin the book during his aggressive cleaning spree. He didn't remember who, however a pleasant old lady gave it to him when she encountered the brothers on the streets. Must have been a year ago, before they found this house to keep. She gave a blessing over their wellbeing and the book to Gilbert, who ended up dumping it on Ludwig. A book couldn't feed them, why the hell would he want it? Ludwig, on the other hand, was much more appreciative to have received the book. Gilbert reckoned he'd made it into a safe place for himself. Ludwig was just a child after all, it was impressive how well he coped with all the bullshit they'd been through.

"Now that you have your book, I want you to tell me everything you did today with your friends."

* * *

A few hours passed and daylight turned to nightfall. Gilbert had begun scouring the kitchen units for something to present as dinner. Time passed and all he could locate was bread. Fucking bread! That wasn't enough to feed a goddamn kid. Still, Gilbert tipped it out onto the table to see how much was available. Two pieces and one loaf end. "…Shit. Er, Ludwig. Ludwig!"

The youngster hurried down, face contorted into a frown, "Uh-huh?"

"We don't have any food besides bread, so eat up. Don't worry, we'll eventually be able to feast like kings! This is just for the time being, I promise," Gilbert told the other, beginning to pace the kitchen. Ludwig picked up a single bread slice and peered around for anything to have with it. Gilbert paused in his tracks, "What?"

"It's too dry by itself, I really don't like it…" Ludwig admitted. "And I don't want the fat piece."

"Too bad, eat it like that, I've tried to find food for ages now. I'd better go out and buy something for breakfast. I'll take the loaf end if you hate it that much. Seriously, eat Ludwig, it's not going to be like this forever." Before Ludwig could issue any sort of complaint, Gilbert marched out of sight. Ludwig pulled off a piece to shove into his mouth, not wanting nor willing to argue with his brother. He'd be happy with just bread for the rest of his life if it meant Gilbert would eat with him for once.

Meanwhile Gilbert had taken to rummaging through the bed sheets for any change. He had some money with him, tucked away in his back pocket, nevertheless searched for any extra coins earnestly. Gilbert couldn't go another week without smoking, he'd vomit out his insides if the craving got any worse. Food was the obvious priority, alas Gilbert was beginning to fear whether his current earnings would even be enough to get any decent food.

Now, he wasn't sure where he'd managed to get such a bizarre idea from. Perhaps Gilbert had become delirious from desperation. Heck, maybe his cunning nerve was finally becoming of use in such a dire time like this. Gilbert's stroke of genius might have been down to sheer dumb luck – If it'd feed a family of two, he didn't care how dumb it was.

Gilbert sprinted into the kitchen and grabbed the abandoned loaf end, running around the table a few times before skidding to a halt in front of his brother, who watched with confusion. "Ludwig, I have an idea! A buddy of mine from work, Roderich, came over from East Berlin a while back. Hated it there and all, kept complaining about the commies – He did say, though, that the food here was more expensive. You won't understand completely Lud, so just trust me. The food there is cheaper. I'm gonna sneak across overnight and bring back proper food for us Ludwig. It'll be great!"

Ludwig didn't look particularly impressed, "Will you come back soon?"

"Not soon…" Gilbert placed a hand on Ludwig's shoulder, "Before you wake up in the morning, I'll be making breakfast as usual. Go to sleep after you've eaten, I'll be home before you know it."

Ludwig brightened up at the reassurance, "Promise?"

"Promise! I'll come back!" With that proclamation, Gilbert kissed Ludwig's forehead in spite of the squeal of horror from him. Gilbert shoved the bread into his mouth so he could grab his jacket (actually, it'd been his father's and the two brothers now shared it) as well as wave goodbye to Ludwig. He was gone within a matter of seconds.

Probably about twenty minutes after Gilbert's departure, Ludwig headed off to bed. He read two more pages of his book out loud – after all, the teacher had applauded his articulation earlier – and even opted to sleep in his brother's bed instead of his own (which was even more uncomfortable than his own bed). Gilbert was right. The morning would come before Ludwig knew it. Plus he wasn't a baby anymore. He didn't get scared over small things like being home alone! Yes, Ludwig felt safe and sound, in his and Gilbert's home.

* * *

 _August 13_ _th_ _, 1961_ – **West Berlin**

Morning came. It crashed through Ludwig's world like a miniature hurricane. His first thought, when sunlight interrupted his slumber, was to ask Gilbert about the other Berlin. For all that he'd heard about the place, Ludwig knew none of it to be true. Was it really a Russian wasteland? Or just the same as this Berlin? Once awake Ludwig thundered into the kitchen to greet his brother; he really wanted to get some questions off his chest, about the people and the houses, the food and the liveliness, the streets and the dogs; he was curious! "Gilbert! Gilbert! How-"

But Gilbert wasn't in the kitchen.

No matter, Ludwig presumed he was in the bathroom. He was crestfallen when he discovered the room as empty as before.

"Gilbert… Gilbert!" Ludwig shouted, only to be met with an uncomfortable stillness. "Gilbert?"

He wasn't in the bedroom.

Nor in the kitchen.

Definitely not in the bathroom.

Why would he be in the garden so early in the morning?

Ludwig's heart plummeted into his groaning stomach, chest tightening with trepidation. Where was his brother? The disconsolate child didn't know what to do with himself. Did he wait for a bit? Call the police? No – no, not the police. Ludwig knew he had to do this on his own.

Ludwig didn't bother going out that day. He wanted to wait for Gilbert to come home. Gilbert promised he'd come back – Not that he'd be back on time. Ludwig knew Gilbert could be a bit impulsive occasionally, so he wouldn't be surprised if he'd tried to make friends with some of the people in the shop. Did Gilbert have work today? Maybe he was late crossing the border and instead went to work. Ludwig deliberated like this for hours on end, not a single one of his theories providing any sort of comfort to him.

Finally he came to a decision to go after Gilbert. Ludwig had a rough idea as to where to go, because Gilbert had pointed it out to him a few months ago. He grabbed his hat to hide his unwashed hair and left the house without another consideration.

To cut out the tedious journey, Ludwig close enough to the centre of Berlin in due course. From there on, he didn't need to navigate his own path to the border. Crowds of confused and inquisitive Berliners alike were preventing Ludwig from getting any closer. Everyone spoke loudly and quickly, frantic even, Ludwig could only catch snippets of what was being said. He wasn't tall enough to even tiptoe over the shoulders of what felt like the entire population of Germany! No matter how hard he pushed through the concentrated masses of people, he couldn't get any closer.

Ludwig gave up soon enough, panting faintly as he surveyed the area for a straggler. A young gentleman in uniform caught his eye, spectating the crowds from a nearby location. The 8 year old darted through various clumps of people, disconnected from the crowd and flung himself in the direction of the officer.

"E- Excuse me, sir, what's going on?!" Ludwig croaked out, staring at the officer with pleading eyes.

The man sighed, not impolitely, merely out of exhaustion from the looks of it, "Kid… Where are your parents?" He looked taken aback as Ludwig teared up, "The w… They're – Aw kid, don't cry! I'm sorry, it's just… Well, they closed the border between East and West Berlin."

Ludwig stepped back, shaking his head a little from disbelief. The sound around him became muffled as his heart hammered violently, flooding his ears with its beat and bruising his chest. "No… N- No, please – When?" His brain felt frazzled, as if it couldn't process the most standard of functions. Number than the rest of his emotionless being; like the shock of it all had removed an entity of emotion from Ludwig's core, and out of cruelty chose to leave behind nothing but dull pain.

The officer interpreted Ludwig's tears as a sign of him being overwhelmed by the amount of panicked individuals around them. He placed a hand on Ludwig's upper back, gently steering him away. "They're it closed down at midnight. It's complicated kid, the whole ordeal is. But as of today, East Berlin is shut off. We're lucky we're on this side."

Ludwig could have screamed at the officer. Yelled and bawled, thrown himself into the crowd again to try and break down the border. He didn't though. Ludwig had no more energy left, as if the realisation had drained him to a lifeless state. Ludwig nodded in thanks to the man for being cooperative. He was beginning to back away from the officer; Gilbert said stay away from them because they could discover the brothers' livelihoods. Not that it mattered anymore. Not that any of it mattered anymore.

Gilbert was gone.

And Ludwig didn't know if he was ever coming back.

* * *

 **Thanks again for reading! Hoping it'll pick up soon in terms of pace, depends really. Reviews are love :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_August 16_ _th_ _, 1961_ – **West Berlin**

From the second the news had struck Ludwig like a shard of piercing ice, he'd been trapped in a viciously repetitive routine. The cycle continued relentlessly for him; between the shock and lethargy, finding his way home became an unattainable goal. It wasn't as if the child knew who to turn to, nor _had_ anyone without his older brother around.

Ludwig had fled from the officer at the aberrant scene moments after properly comprehending the situation. Since then, he'd taken to scavenging for concealed spaces to sleep and refurbish enough energy to defect to another location, all done for the sole purpose of remaining unfound. The child would sometimes recognise an area vaguely, bringing him closer to the direction of his previous home – Or so he thought. If hungry, Ludwig would take to begging or rummaging through bins of those of a wealthier status in the city. He failed to find a substantial amount of anything, with the exception of water provided by a restaurant owner who'd taken pity on Ludwig.

It was arguably difficult not to experience the heart wrenching at the sight of the young boy. Dishevelled didn't do his appearance justice; derelict, perhaps, he'd become more sickly over the past few days, and his hair was matted with grease and dust. Even with it being August, the nights would often be cold. For that reason Ludwig had taken to flitting about West Berlin during the night juxtaposed the daytime, where he'd instead sleep in the summer warmth.

Ludwig knew he couldn't live like this for much longer, however.

On the morning of August 16th, Ludwig had become more determined to orientate himself home. Minutes begun turning into hours, dragged out at an excruciating pace that was taking a toll on Ludwig's body. He felt the ache in his spine, the cramp in his legs, the burning from sunlight in his weary eyes, all of it too much for anyone to bear, much less an 8 year old.

Eventually Ludwig was forced to take a break for the sake of his muscles. The street he was on resembled the rest; neat and oddly fresh, as if only recently constructed – or, more specifically, reconstructed. Still the area was pretty vacant, conveniently so, with a mere four or five voices belonging to other children in the remote distance. Perfect for a short break – that's what Ludwig would have liked to believe.

The blond practically collapsed against a fence at the beginning (or end, Ludwig couldn't really tell) of the street, separating it from a muddy field with wisps of grass scattered over it. Though not the most appealing of spots to sleep, Ludwig reckoned it'd be safest for him at night. Just until he'd recovered enough energy to keep moving, even if it disrupted his standard routine of locate and relocate.

Ludwig drew in a deep breath, letting the fresh air filter into his lungs. It was so refreshing; much nicer than the cigarette smoke and mouldy scent he'd been force to become accustomed with. Though… Ludwig would give anything to smell it again, despite how putrid it was. His eyes filled with tears at the thought; was his brother really trapped in the East? After everything they'd been through? How was Ludwig supposed to survive now? Was Gilbert going to be okay?

The sounds of laughter from the children made him feel sick to his stomach. They sounded like his own friends from school. Johann, Peter, Frank and Klaus… Would he ever see them again? Shit – Would Ludwig ever go to school again? After all that money Gilbert put into buying his uniform and supplies, it seemed like a big fucking waste. Only now did Ludwig realise that, with the loss of his brother, came the loss of his friends and education too.

Gilbert was gone.

And there was nothing Ludwig could do about it.

The young German could barely contain his tears at this stage. He sobbed, loudly and intensely, the level of emotional pain wracking through his body as he hunched himself over his knees, which he'd pulled up against his legs to hold tightly. Ludwig would be ashamed if he could stop himself. Crying! Like a big baby! What would Gilbert say? Ludwig had spent months perfecting his knack of holding in the sadness, just so Gilbert didn't need to worry about anything else. Yet here he was, wailing and snivelling, feeling like he'd betrayed his big brother just for doing so.

Ludwig could have gone on like that for hours. Crying his heart out in a shell of his former self in the middle of nowhere, alone and isolated from the rest of the world. Except that Ludwig wasn't anymore alone than he had been moments ago. Maybe five minutes or so had passed and Ludwig was still crying, but by this point it was the only sound that could be heard for miles. He didn't notice, he wouldn't have cared if he had, subconsciously tightening his hold on his legs as if to form a protective stance.

"Hello?"

Ludwig sprung apart, startled by the intrusion. With wide and accusing eyes, Ludwig stared at the owner of the voice, using his arm to obscure the view of his face. He chose to stay silent.

"Hello!" The voice repeated louder, the owner kneeling down in front of Ludwig. "Are you okay?!"

"Y- Yes, just stop yelling…" Ludwig murmured back, leaning away from the stranger to get a better look at him. Ludwig couldn't have been sure, but the boy looked to be a similar age to his own. He, presuming he was a boy, spoke with near-perfect German, though looked foreign. That was all Ludwig really got from his olive-toned skin. He smiled brightly, almost eagerly, and it just scared Ludwig even more.

"I'm Feliciano!" The boy announced, hands plastered onto his knee. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here!"

"I'm Ludwig," He replied cautiously, peering over Feliciano's shoulder to see his group of friends not so far away.

Feliciano mimicked his action, casting a look behind him, "Those are my friends! Also my brother, Lovino, is there! He's not usually so angry though!"

Ludwig blanched further, if it was possible, tearing up again. Brother. Where was his own brother? Why was he talking to a stranger when his brother was missing? Ludwig scrambled backwards until stepping onto his feet, covering his hands with his face out of shame. He wanted – no, needed – to leave.

"Ludwig… Why are you crying?" Feliciano asked gently, standing up as well but without moving any closer. "Do you wanna play with us instead? Crying is sad."

"No, I – I need to get t- to th- the East," Ludwig stammered out, turning himself away from the other.

Feliciano's eyes widened, "Huh? Why would you want to do that? Didn't you hear they closed it up?" Feliciano rubbed back of his neck, "Maybe you should go home instead, you don't look very well Ludwig…"

A long pause followed, before a whispered "my family are in the East," came from Ludwig.

Feliciano gasped in a moderately comical way, which might have made Ludwig laugh under any other circumstance. "I – I'm sure you can get there one day Ludwig! I don't know myself, maybe my grandpa can help you. He's smart, really smart. In fact-" Feliciano bounded forward and took one of Ludwig's free hands into his own, as if to comfort him. It only served to make Ludwig turn bright red, though Feliciano's enthusiasm remained, "—just the other day he was telling us about Conrad Schumann! Apparently he jumped over to the West yesterday!"

Ludwig seemed more interested, although still uncomfortable, "Why did he jump?"

"I dunno! Maybe he has really long legs!"

"Do… Do you think your grandpa would help me find Conrad Schumann? Maybe he could help me get over to my brother," Ludwig said, quite fond of the idea.

"Let's go and ask him! He might still be working but we can wait for him at our house!" Feliciano said cheerily, finally releasing Ludwig's hand and gesturing for him to follow in his steps as he approached his friends and brother. "Guys, this is Ludwig. I'm going to take him home to Grandpa!"

One of the boys, who Ludwig assumed to be Lovino by the similar complexion and facial features, scoffed. He eyed Ludwig sceptically, "Why would you bring a street rat home to Grandpa? Idiot, he'd not gonna want shit to do with him."

"Doesn't seem like the best house-warming gift." This comment came from an unknown person, taller than the rest by at least a head, yet with a voice higher than Feliciano's.

Feliciano didn't look happy with the lack of enthusiasm in regards to presenting Ludwig to his grandpa. "Don't be mean. Ludwig's family are in the East."

Ludwig interjected, "It's only me and my brother, technically."

"Even worse! Come on Lovino, we're going to ask Grandpa to help Ludwig find Mr. Schumann!"

The older of the two, by the looks of it, wrinkled his nose with disdain, "What are you talking about? Idiot… The East, huh?" Lovino cast his gaze over Ludwig once again, this time without pulling a face. "You're deluded. Fine, take him home. Do it yourself, I'm going to wait for this shit to blow over. You…" Now directing his words at Ludwig, the blond stared back at him with a mixture of confusion and, well, fear. "You eat something, yeah? You look disgusting. Go on, both of you." Lovino turned to the unknown members of the group, uttering something to them that cause them to begin heading off in the other direction. Lovino said nothing more to Feliciano or Ludwig, though cast one last look at the pair before finally leaving.

Feliciano clapped his hands together, "Let's go see Grandpa!"

* * *

 **Thanks again for reading! This chapter is more of a filler; originally this and the next one were to be combined but I ended up writing more than I thought for this part. Plus I didn't want to keep you guys waiting for too long! Tell me what you think, thank you :)**

 **I might take it down and redo some of it before posting the next part, depends how I feel about it later in the week. Might be late with posting but hopefully you'll forgive me for posting twice in one week!**


	4. Chapter 4

_August 16_ _th_ _, 1961_ – **West Berlin**

"…And after talking to Lovino, I brought Ludwig back here!"

Feliciano resorted to wild hand gestures to accompany his story-telling, all on Ludwig's behalf, only now having reached the end. With his ever-cheery smile the Italian stared up expectantly at his grandfather. The man in question bore a heavy resemblance to his grandchildren; olive-toned skin with a fresh and vibrant touch, warm green eyes and dark curls chopped short. Ludwig would even argue that 'Lovino' was the spitting image of him. Contrary to what one would assume, the man hadn't aged as much as he should have, much to Ludwig's surprise.

At the present moment, the man was solemn and attentive, eyes fixed on the small blond who stood rigidly.

After what felt like a dramatic pause, the man spoke; "I see. Ludwig, is this true?" Ludwig nodded slightly. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm afraid what happened with Conrad Schumann was down to luck. It isn't safe to cross the border anymore, and it'll only get worse. I'm sorry Ludwig," the man stopped, placing his hands gently on Ludwig's shoulders and kneeling in front of him, "Is there anyone else you can live with for now?"

"No…" Ludwig whispered, curling his hands into fists and keeping his gaze downcast, "I only had my brother."

"What happened to your parents? How old is your brother?"

"I don't know, they disappeared. Gilbert said they went to travel to heaven," Ludwig replied, "Er, sixt- No! Eighteen, I meant… I – Please don't tell anyone, I don't want him to get into trouble." He rubbed his eyes with his fists as tears welled in them again. "I have a house. I don't know where it is, I can live on my own though! I just need to find it!"

The grandfather shook his head firmly, "No, I cannot allow a child to live on his own. You're younger than my Feliciano and I don't even let him stay home alone for a few hours. Ludwig…" He retracted his hands, now smiling kindly, "Why don't you stay with us for a while? I'm Roberto De Luca, and you've met my grandsons Lovino and Feliciano."

Ludwig didn't think he'd heard correctly, "Stay?"

Feliciano took the opportunity to interject, "Yes! Yes, stay with us! We have lots of space and cats too! No one should be alone Ludwig. Not ever! I'm sure your brother will find people too."

Roberto scooped Feliciano into his arms, who practically squeaked with either surprise or joy, "You can stay with us until you and your brother are reunited, Ludwig. You won't be able to survive on your own."

Ludwig hesitated, "I did promise him he wouldn't lose me." He wiped his face on the back of his hand, "Are you sure it's fine?"

"I've never been surer in my life," Roberto responded, holding his hand out to Ludwig, who took it loosely, "Let's get you fed and cleaned up."

* * *

As the evening rolled into play, Lovino took to returning home for the time being. The scraggly thirteen year old approached his cosy home with a subtle skip in his step, pace speeding up as he picked up the scrumptious scent of dinner. He delved inside and kicked his shoes off by the front door, briefly looking around the place. It was the same old same old; a house like every other, just with the accessories of an Italian family and a few litter boxes for their cats. "I'm home!"

At his words, footsteps rumbled downstairs to reveal Feliciano with his new friend in tow, "Lovino! Ludwig is staying! Isn't that great?!"

Lovino pulled a face, "No. Where is he staying? Not in my room, I hope."

"Nope – with me!"

"Good, I'm fucking hungry, so shoo." Lovino shuffled past the two, eyeing Ludwig warily. He'd taken it better than anyone could have anticipated, but the future was yet to come. Alongside the bickering in waves of German and Italian to a delicious home cooked meal to which the scrubbed-clean Ludwig savoured every bite of, he experienced the simplistic joy of domesticity in the first time in forever.

From what had been the impulsive act of kindness from a stranger, Ludwig knew everything was taking a new path. After the grand tour of his new home from Feliciano, Ludwig was lying down on Feliciano's floor, on a spare mattress that was temporarily his own.

"Hey, Feliciano, are you awake?"

"Mmm." Ludwig took it as a yes.

"Thank you for everything."

"Hrmm."

"I'll pay you back one day."

"Mmhm."

"Goodnight Feliciano."

* * *

 **I'm super sorry for the late chapter, school's been busy and stuff keeps coming up! This chapter is more of a filler to establish a fixed setting for now; so it's a bit shorter than usual. This fic is a lot more detailed that I'd planned for it to be xD**

 **Thank you to those showing support, love you all 3**


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